A Unique Look At The Pittsburgh Pirates

Results tagged ‘ Alex Presley ’

I’m not sure what has happened to Alex Presley he went from being the everyday left fielder and lead off hitter to riding the bench more often than not. I think his future is as a very good 4th outfielder but it is amazing how quickly the Pirates have changed attitudes on him. Personally I think he should be in the lineup receiving more playing time as I see Navarro as a good alternative to Barmes but not Presley. However if the Pirates are going to keep using Presley in a 4th outfield role they really have no need for McLouth. At this point McLouth is worthless off the bench and replacing him on the roster with a bat like Jake Fox makes a lot of sense if Presley is going to be viewed as solely a 4th outfielder going forward. My suggestion is that McGehee although he hasn’t looked great would be better with consistent playing time so in my suggestion he takes over as the regular 1B and a Jones/Fox platoon moves out to RF.

Again I am not advocating this move but rather saying that it makes a whole lot of sense under the assumption that Presley remains as the 4th outfielder. Under my suggestion the lineup could look like”

Tabata, LF

Walker, 2B

McCutchen, CF

Alvarez, 3B

McGehee, 1B

Jones/Fox, RF

Barmes (Navarro), SS

Barajas, C

Personally I want to see Navarro at SS but realistically it will be Barnes so that is why I put the SS position as such. The bench would look like:

McKenry, C

Fox/Jones, 1B/OF

Harrison, MI

Presley, OF

Navarro, Ut

If McGehee fails at 1B one of Hague, Clement or Evans could be called up and given a chance or Presley could be reinserted in the OF moving Jones back to 1B. As for everyone’s favorite B duo, Barmes and Barajas, Jordy Mercer is looking strong in AAA and could be a Major League option some time in June and July and Jose Morales, who has a decent Major League track record, is playing well and could be a good catching option in a matter of a few weeks.

Alex Presley: In my opinion Alex Presley is the key to the Pirates having a top notch outfield this season. After surging through the minor leagues the last two seasons Presley got his first real chance last season and did not disappoint. In addition to the speed, defense and contact skills we all expected he even showed a little bit of power with a slugging percentage of .465. Presley has the speed and the defensive skills to make patrolling the Pirates rather large home left field no issue at all. The question is rather is his bat sustainable. I this point I can’t think of a reason not to expect it to be; I see him hitting for a line of roughly .280/.340/.450. That would make him a very solid left fielder. If Presley does reach my projection he (and Tabata and McCutchen) will give the Pirates a very strong outfield and top of the batting order.

BACK UP

Nate McLouth: McLouth will be the backup for all three outfield spots but I believe he was signed primarily as an insurance policy in case Presley’s magic ride ends. For this reason I am considering him a left fielder for this season. There is no reason to expect McLouth to return to his 2008/09 but I think a return to his old stomping grounds will allow him to improve on his past two seasons numbers. McLouth will assume the 4th outfielder job, the Pirates had him penciled in for all along and I think he will succeed in such a role. McLouth has a good speed/power mix which I think will prove to be a perfect combination for his new lesser role with the Pirates.

TOP PROSPECTS

Robbie Grossman: Grossman made a huge splash last season with a great showing in A+ ball. He quickly rose into the Pirates top 10 prospect. Grossman will likely mostly play CF in AA this year but he profiles best as a corner outfielder hence his inclusion as a left fielder prospect. Now the questions are how will Grossman adjust from moving to a hitter friendly park to a pitcher friendly park, how will his hammate injury affect him and how we he handle the brighter spotlight that will be on him? He has the pedigree of a guy who should be a rather successful player. However with all those factors working against him I think Grossman is going to take a step back this season. I don’t see him having a horrible season in AA but it won’t be near the level of what people are expecting. I think his hammate injury and the jump in the level of competition will be the two largest factors limiting him.

Wes Freeman: It wasn’t to the extent of Grossman but Freeman had his only little breakout season last year. Like Grossman, Freeman will likely be spending most of 2012 in center field but long term he appears to be a better fit for a corner spot. Freeman had a few disappointing seasons in 2008-10 and was likely on his last chance last season when he made his big strides forward. It should be noted that his breakout came in short season ball so he still has a long way to go before he can move into the top prospect crowd. This year should be Freeman’s first full year in full season ball and while I like how much he has progressed I know he is still a project who will probably struggle initially. I think we will see encouraging signs late in the season but I think this is going to be a relatively rough season for Freeman.

Candon Myles: Myles was drafted as a high school senior in the 12th round. He received a decent signing bonus amount of 125K so the Pirates must think fairly highly of him. He received limited playing time (6 AB) in rookie ball last season and considering he is only 19 he will likely either repeat rookie ball or play in short season ball. Myles best tool is his speed and he loves to use it on the bases. He has a small stature so he doesn’t project to hit for much power and probably is best suited for center field. I am listing him as a replacement for Cayones and because he is the remaining outfield prospect I am the highest on. I am expecting a very good season from Myles but since he is so young and at such a low level his prospect status will not be affected much.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Summary: One of the Pirates organizational strengths is the outfield and left field is no exception. In the short term Alex Presley will man the position and there is no real reason to think that his play will not be at least acceptable. The Pirates also have a few interesting prospects who project best as left fielder in Grossman and Freeman. Some fans may be concerned by the lack of power the Pirates have coming from left field but to be honest in recent seasons left field has been becoming less and less of a power hitting position. With Presley (or Tabata), two good prospects and the chance a CF could slide over the Pirates should have no real problem filling the left field position for 2012 and for the short term future.

The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.